1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of reproducing an audio and video signal recorded on a recording medium and an apparatus for recording an audio and video signal on a recording medium and reproducing an audio and video signal from the same.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, a signal reproducing apparatus has been structured such that when a user or the like has operated to start a reproducing operation of the signal reproducing apparatus, an audio and video signal recorded on a disk or the like is read by a drive unit.
Specifically, when the signal reproducing apparatus has been operated to start the reproducing operation, a disk table on which a disk has been loaded is rotated. Then, a head portion provided for the inside portion of the drive unit is moved to a required position of the disk.
Since the operation for moving the head portion and the operation for rotating the disk are performed by mechanical systems, a somewhat long time is required from a request to reproduce an audio and video signal to reading the audio and video signal from the disk. For example, when the number of revolutions of the disk has reached a predetermined number of revolutions, data can be written on the disk or data can be read from the same.
Therefore, a long time is required from the operation performed by a user to reproduce an audio and video signal to actual output of required information. Thus, the user must wait for the output for the required time.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a signal reproducing apparatus which does not require time from a moment at which a user has started a reproducing operation to a moment at which the user is able to actually confirm required information, a method therefor, a signal recording and reproducing apparatus and a method therefor.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a signal reproducing apparatus comprising: storage means for temporarily storing the audio and video signal read by signal reading means; and control means for controlling the signal reading means to read the audio and video signal recorded on the recording medium and controlling writing of the audio and video signal which is temporarily stored in the storage means, wherein the control means causes the signal reading means to read the audio and video signal from the recording medium in a state before a reproducing operation is started so as to write the audio and video signal on the storage means.
As a result, the signal reproducing apparatus previously reads the audio and video signal recorded on the recording medium before the reproducing operation is started. After the reproducing operation has been started, the audio and video signal read and stored in the storage means is transmitted.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a signal reproducing method comprising the step of previously writing an audio and video signal read from a recording medium on a storage means in a state before a reproducing operation is started.
As a result, the signal reproducing method has the structure that the audio and video signal recorded on the recording medium is previously read and stored in the storage means. After the reproducing operation has been started, the audio and video signal read and stored in the storage means is transmitted.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a signal recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: additional-information writing means for writing, on a recording medium on which the audio and video signal is written by signal writing means, additional information relating to the audio and video signal which is written on the recording medium; storage means for temporarily storing the audio and video signal read by signal reading means; and control means for controlling the signal reading means to read the audio and video signal recorded on the recording medium and controlling writing of the audio and video signal which is temporarily stored in the storage means, wherein the control means causes the signal reading means to previously read the audio and video signal from the recording medium and write the read audio and video signal on the storage means in accordance with additional information recorded on the recording medium in a state before a reproducing operation is started.
As a result, the signal recording and reproducing apparatus previously reads the audio and video signal recorded on the recording medium to store the audio and video signal in the storage means before the reproducing operation is started in accordance with additional information recorded on the recording medium. Immediately after the reproducing operation has been started, the audio and video signal read and stored in the storage means is transmitted.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a signal recording and reproducing method of recording an audio and video signal on a recording medium and reproducing an audio and video signal from the same, the signal recording and reproducing method comprising: an additional-information writing step for writing, on the recording medium on which the audio and video signal is written, additional information relating to the audio and video signal which is written on the recording medium; and a storage step for temporarily storing, in storage means, the audio and video signal previously read from the recording medium in a state before a reproducing operation is started in accordance with additional information written on the recording medium in the writing step.
As a result, the signal recording and reproducing method has the structure that the audio and video signal recorded on the recording medium is previously read and stored in the storage means before the reproducing operation is started in accordance with additional information recorded on the recording medium. Immediately after the reproducing operation has been started, the audio and video signal read and stored in the storage means is transmitted.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the attached drawings.